Söder: If necessary, go it alone with payment card for asylum seekers
Ahead of the consultations between the federal and state governments on the topic of migration, Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) has reiterated that the Free State would introduce benefits in kind for asylum seekers if necessary. "We are in favor of benefits in kind via a payment card, more non-profit work opportunities for asylum seekers and mandatory language tests as a prerequisite for integration at school," Söder told the Münchner Merkur newspaper (Saturday). "But it would be good if all countries followed our lead."
In their coalition agreement, the CSU and Free Voters had agreed to introduce the principle of benefits in kind for asylum seekers "as far as legally possible" and a nationwide payment card solution. In August, the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior announced that the introduction of such a card was already in preparation.
The CSU, with Markus Söder as its leader, advocates for other countries to adopt their approach of providing benefits in kind to asylum seekers using payment cards, following their agreement in the coalition with Free Voters. Despite facing opposition, Bavaria's stance on offering mandatory language tests for asylum seekers as a prerequisite for integration at school continues to attract attention among refugees seeking migration.
Source: www.dpa.com
